Chapter one

AURELIA'S POV 

My eyes roamed over the area as I walked slowly toward the pack's plaza. I was walking on a deserted road and I did not want to get in between the other pack members, knowing I was about to round the corner. 

Taking a deep breath and then I sighed, knowing I was about to receive hurtful stares from any one who happens to see me.

"I look good, right?" I asked myself, as I looked down at my dress. I was given this dress five years ago and it was worn out.

It was surprisingly the only dress I had with its wool and designs all out but then I had nothing to wear.

Taking a deep breath, again, and different scents belonging to the pack members wafted into my nose. Nevertheless, I took a step toward the corner and I came face to face with the pack members I dreaded. 

"Hey, look who's here." A male voice shouted out loud and all heads turned to look at me.

"You can do this." I chanted to myself, inwardly, as I continued to take slow steps.

The plaza was just a few distances away from me and I would get there in no time.

"Answer me!" The male from earlier shouted from behind me and I flinched. 

My head turned to look at him, my eyes wide as saucers and fear evident in them. 

My hands were stretched out, in a bid to create a distance between us.

"Oh, I forgot, you can't even answer me." He said and everyone else burst into a fit of mocking laughter. 

At his words, my shoulders slumped and my head was bent. I turned around meekly and started to walk toward the plaza.

I could feel their burning gaze on me, it felt like their eyes were boring into my skin, painfully. I was used to these gazes but then I wouldn't lie, I hated them. 

They made me feel like I was a bane to society and I wasn't needed.

But then, I did not want to be needed. I just want to live a quiet and peaceful life but it seemed I was asking too much. 

On the other hand, their continuous laughter rang in my head and I felt really small. 

"I'm just so pathetic." I said to myself, as I shut my eyes for a second, trying to hold back the tears about to fall. 

I started to speed up. I knew if I stayed there for a long time, I would become an outlet for their sorrows. 

They wouldn't just let me be! 

In a few minutes, I was standing before the plaza and as I was about to take a step in, I heard a voice behind me.

"Careful, you might hurt yourself." A female said and I turned around in surprise.

"Did someone actually care? But I'm not about to hurt myself." I said inwardly, as my eyes shone but in the next second, my eyes dimmed and my heart broke.

"This place is not for lowlives and dumb people like you, you might get hurt." She added and then burst into mocking laughter.

My teary eyes followed her and for once I felt like shouting to the heavens and questioning the Moon Goddess why she had to create me.

"When will all these stop?" I asked myself as my hands clutched onto my ragged dress.

At this question, a thought suddenly popped up in my mind.

"Yes! When I get my mate, none of this will happen. I won't get bullied anymore." I affirmed in my mind, convincingly.

But then in the next second, a conflicting thought rose up in my mind.

"What if…" I trailed out, in my mind, as my eyes widened in horror.

"What if my mate has been bullying me?" I asked myself, as I held onto my mouth, in shock. 

It could happen and I dreaded how it was going to be.

However, in the next second, I shook my head, trying to shake that thought out of my mind.

"No! No! It won't happen." I said inwardly, trying to convince myself.

The mating convention will start soon and I have been looking forward to finding my mate. 

It happens every year and every mature unmated werewolf will find their mate during the convention.

I wouldn't let one sick thought ruin what I have been anticipating. 

Aside from it being the mating convention, it was also my 18th birthday. 

If there was one birthday present I desired, it was for my mate to take me away from the pack.

I would be forever indebted to him.

Suddenly, I felt a shove from the back and I was sent flying to the ground.

"Watch where you are going, dumbo." A pack member screamed and then walked past me.

My back hurt as I lay on the floor. I did not realize I had been standing before the plaza for a long ass time. But then I wasn't in anyone's way. 

My eyes watered as my whole life flashed before my eyes. I did not have the energy to stand up and it seemed like my painful memories were weighing a toll on me.

The word dumbo has followed me for as long as I can remember.

I was born dumb! Surprised? Yes, I was.

I was the only disabled werewolf in the pack and I was bullied and segregated for that. 

Everyone felt like I was a shame and for some time, I agreed to what they said.

But then, everything that had happened wasn't my fault, one bit.

I was born with a high fever and I wasn't able to cry at my birth or speak, years after. 

Also, my mother had died at my birth and I did not know what the love of a mother felt like. 

Although my father once accused me of killing my mother, I knew I wasn't at fault. It would be surprising to anyone, if I told them my father accused me of such. 

Of course, I wasn't loved and my father remarried a woman just a few years after my mother's death. 

I let out a low chuckle, as I stood up to my feet.

A sharp pain shot through my back and I rushed to hold onto the wall, resting on it. 

I could have been happy for him but his words that year were still ringing in my head.

"I can't spend my hard earned money on a dumbo like you. I'm expecting a better child and he needs all the money and attention." Those were his words and at this point, I was still in pain.

My eyes saw red that day, as I had summoned courage to ask my father for money. 

The doctor had told me I could get cured and I would have my voice back, only for a large amount of money.

I was hopeful but then my father had to thrash my hopes.

He only had eyes for his new wife and his unborn baby.

Yes, my stepmother was already pregnant when my father married her.

 I thought all hope was lost but then the doctor had told me to practice vocalizing. My throat went through a lot of pain as I tried to force myself to speak.

My efforts weren't in vain, after years of practice, I was able to let out a few words.

However, I still couldn't form a full sentence correctly. 

Even with my breakthrough in speaking, I couldn't share my joy with anyone. I kept it to myself and continued to act like I was mute.

However, I looked forward to the day I would be able to speak out without any restrictions or bullying.

I couldn't wait!

In the next second, I pushed my painful thoughts out of my head and I began to walk toward the entrance of the plaza, still in pain.

At the next moment, the bell signaling the start of the convention started to ring, loudly.

"What! It's time, already." I said to myself, in surprise. 

I did not think it was going to start so early and in the next second, my body started to burn.

My temperature rose a few degrees higher and I was starting to sweat buckets.

"Oh no." I said, clutching onto my already wet cloth which was starting to stick to my body. 

However, in the next second, I started to feel really strange. 

My bent head shot up to look around and I immediately took a step back in fear at what I saw.

"What's going on here?" I asked myself, my eyes wide in horror.

I could see the eyes of the male werewolves had turned red. They stood still as they watched me with predatory eyes.

"They are not about to kill me, are they?" I asked myself but in the next second, they started to move toward me.

Their fangs grew and their eyes were incredibly bloody.

They looked like they had found their prey and I could see they were drooling.

As I continued to step backward, my back hit the wall and I had nowhere else to go. 

"Mate!" They all declared, simultaneously while looking at me and my eyes widened.

"What mate! I'm no one's mate, yet." I said to myself. For once, I wished I could say my thoughts out, correctly, so they would get away from me but then I couldn't.

In the next second, they started to march toward me with a feral look in their eyes.

Their fangs glistened and their claws were sharp as knives as they pointed toward me.

And in the next moment, a male werewolf jumped on me and immediately I let out a shrill scream.

"Ahhh…" I cried out as his claws latched onto me.

It wasn't surprising that I was able to scream out in distress.

"Mine!" The male werewolf declared and my heart shook at his words.

This was not how I imagined the mating convention to be for me.

Why was every male member of the pack jumping at me?

Before I could comprehend what was really happening, I felt more hands around my body.

My dress was in a shamble now and my eyes roamed around for anyone to save me.

"Hmmm…" I squirmed as I tried to wiggle my body away from them but they were incredibly strong.

In the next second, I heard loud thumping of shoes and my head whipped in the direction.

Tears were starting to stream down my face as I spotted my father, alongside the Alpha and his beta.

"Father…" I cried, inwardly as my eyes shone.

My savior had come, or so I thought.

I expected him to come save me as I was almost naked but then he took a step back and my face fell.

My head shook from side to side, as tears blurred my face.

I felt my whole world crashing as I saw the want in the eyes of every male.

On the other hand, I could see the frown on the Alpha and Beta's face. 

Of course, they would realize what was wrong but then it was evident that the Beta was trying to control himself.

However, the Alpha was standing, steadily.

His eyes were red and his hands were clenched into fists.

If given an opportunity, he would jump on me.

"No! This can't be happening." I said to myself as the upper part of my dress was torn. I realized no one was going to help me and I was all alone.

My breasts were almost exposed and I fought to drag myself away. 

My hands became free and I wound them around my chest, in fright.

My nude was precious to me and was for my mate alone.

"Get away from me, you lots." I screamed in my mind as I struggled against them. My little hands and fingers clawed whatever they could lay on. 

The males started to give way to me and immediately I ran forward.

But then the males ran after me. It felt like they wouldn't let me go far away from them. 

"Who is going to protect me?" I asked myself and immediately I spotted the Alpha still standing steadily, with a frown on his face.

I could see that he was not affected by what was going on and in the next second, I ran into his arms.

"Save me!" I cried in my mind, as I clutched tightly to him.